Bits and Pieces
by passerbyinlife
Summary: A series of one- shot fics about Steve Rogers/ Peggy Carter.
1. Chapter 1

**Inspired by this: post/114012994174/somethingfassyhashappened-razorbelle**

'Rogers!' He looked up, and was immediately welcomed by a blow to his face. He was slammed onto the ground as he stared up defiantly at his three assailants who had appeared from nowhere. 'You thought it was smart, huh, Rogers, getting the flag that way, getting a ride back to camp with Agent Carter?' Stedman jeered at him. He had been the target of many men in military camp due to his size, and he was more than familiar with what was to happen.

'If I must say so, at least I was smarter than you.' Steve replied. Springing up, he charged at them, yet Stedman's cronies simply pushed back and he ended up on the ground once again.

'Whoopsie daisy,' Faucher jeered as the three of them strolled towards him, hands in their pockets. 'Poor wittle Wogers,' he lisped, 'So very tiny and pathetic and weak to be of any actual use. Why are you here, huh? Come on Rogers, don't you think it'd be better for you to run home to your Mommy? It's safer there, warmer, nicer, more suitable for you.' At that he knelt down and extended one finger tauntingly. Steve instinctively leaned forward and bit on it as hard as he could.

'Son of a bitch!' Faucher exclaimed as he shot up and Steve braced himself as Faucher's foot connected with his gut, followed by that of Stedman's and Nevin's, an unrelenting shower of merciless kicks which normally never stopped until he was nearing the ledge of unconsciousness, whereas they would take turns spitting on him and proceed to finally leave him alone.

Yet for this time, they were only twenty- four kicks in before a clear voice rang out, 'Stop this! Now!' His attackers backed off, as Agent Carter strode into sight. 'Stedman, Faucher, Nevin, twenty push- ups. Now. Then get out of my sight.' Despite how some men had originally slighted Agent Peggy Carter at the beginning of camp, they had learned quickly enough that she was a force to be feared. The other three men cleared out of the room within seconds.

'Are you all right, Rogers?' she questioned him as he stood up tentatively, making sure that nothing was broken.

'I'm fine,' he grimaced.

'You've been taught how to fight the way men do, utilizing brute force and nothing else besides it. That means you are destined to lose every fight you get into, as every one of your opponents will be bigger and stronger than you are. The thing is, you have to understand your weaknesses and utilize them. You're small in size and you're weaker, yes. But such qualities can be easily used to your advantage.'

He looked up at her, slightly in awe as he asked, 'Can you teach me how to fight? Please?'

'I won't be around every time you get beaten up, so I might as well,' she stated. Sparing the clock on the wall a brief glance, she continued, 'We have two hours before dinner. Let's get started now.'

Peggy stood a short distance away from him, tilting her head slightly as she said, 'Go on, hit me the way they hit you just now.' Steve hesitated. She smiled as she noted his pause. 'It's all right. I don't get hurt that easily.' And so he threw a blow in her general direction reluctantly. She simply stood there, the hint of a smile still on her face until the very last second, whereas she seemed to have shifted and he felt her pull at his hand, hard, and then he was on the ground once again.

'You weren't using your full force,' Peggy said, her expression incomprehensible.

'I'm sorry,' he murmured.

'That won't be necessary. All I did was simply to transfer the energy you directed at me back at you. Had you used your full force, that fall would have hurt way more. Now stand up, and let's do it again.'

They continued having regular trainings, five times a week, two hours before dinner. Yet the one on the 21st of March was one that neither of them would ever forget.

They were practicing a new move that Steve had wanted to show her. He swung his fist from the side, and Peggy knelt swiftly, pushing him back as she did so. He dodged the push by leaning slightly to his side, sweeping his feet beneath her, causing her to lose her balance. Yet she pulled at his leg, causing him to fall onto her. Flipping over nimbly, he managed to prevent himself from slamming onto her by planting his hands on either side of her head. And so he hovered inches above her, both of the panting slightly.

She looked up at him, smiling, 'You've improved.'

He nodded, and it was then that they noticed their close proximity. As he leaned closer, he heard her breath hitch as her lips parted slightly. He lowered himself, longing for the touch of her lips on his, yet moments later he felt her firm yet gentle hands on his shoulders as she pushed him away. 'I'm sorry,' she murmured, 'But this simply won't be appropriate.' She slid out from under him, the ghost of a blush crossing her face.

'I'm sorry,' Steve said as he straightened himself, flustered.

'It's all right,' the corners of her mouth twitched, 'We should continue with training.'

And so they did.

'Rogers!' It was Stedman again. Steve turned around, swiftly ducking the expected punch. He swept his leg out, successfully unbalancing Stedman whilst pushing Faucher to the floor at the same time. Nevin charged at him, and Steve ducked at the last second, giving Nevin a slight pull at the same time, and Nevin slammed into the wall behind him.

Peggy, having heard the commotion from her office once again, stepped out to see what exactly had happened. Steve Rogers was standing in the middle of a circle of fallen men, appearing to be slightly amazed by what he had just done. She allowed herself a chuckle and a wave at him before disappearing into her office once again.


	2. Chapter 2

'Peggy,' he approached her cautiously. After all, it had only been hours ago when she had decided to tell him what she thought of his new shield by picking up a gun and shooting at it. She stopped walking, spun around and coldly raised an eyebrow at him.

She had every right to be angry. It had been a long, long time ever since she had fallen for a guy and she had hoped so badly that despite his transformation into someone bigger, better, stronger, he would still continue being what little Steve once was, the guy who wouldn't desperately try to hit up on every other girl just because, who would actually bother to wait for the right girl to come along, unlike all the other men she had ever known. She hated even more the fact that she had flirted with him and he had responded positively, yet appeared to have barely hesitated to offer some other girl a kiss.

But of course she knew that the shield was capable of deflecting an average bullet from some gun when she shot at it. She would never had taken the risk of hurting him in any way.

'Yes, Captain?' she opted to address him formally. He was no longer the Steve she once knew.

He approached her swiftly. 'I'm sorry for what I did back there earlier this evening. Technically, she did force herself on me but I kissed back so I guess it'd be justified for you to be angry at me. And I'm sorry for suggesting that you had a relationship with Howard, it was imprudent and disrespectful for me to do so.'

'You have nothing to apologize for, Captain.' She continued bitterly, 'I should have known better. I guess I had expected a bit too much from our acquaintance.'

She turned to leave, yet he held to her arm. 'In all honesty, Peggy, I had always had feelings for you, ever since you socked that idiot in the jaw on the first day of camp. I was just never sure of what you thought of me. I had never expected you to think much of me. You're beautiful and intelligent and brave and as for me- I'm just Steve.'

She looked up at him, her doe brown eyes unreadable. The next thing he knew, her arms were around her shoulders and her lips pressed urgently against his as she pushed him into a room nearby, kicking the door close as they went in. She buried her hands into his hair and tugged gently, evoking a soft moan from him as he tightened his hold around her waist. Her tongue flicked against his as they slowly backed into the wall. It was then that she pulled back, looked up at him cheekily and stated, 'Technically, I did force myself on you but then you kissed back.'

He pressed his forehead against hers, 'Peggy?' He could feel her panting softly against his lips. 'Yes, Steve?' 'I love you.'

With a quick flick of her wrists, his shirt went sailing halfway across the room. Clumsily, he undid the buttons of her blouse and she shrugged them off impatiently, pushing them both onto the floor as she went on. He pulled at the zipper of her skirt, and he must have been a bit too rough with it for the fabric teared.

'This was my favorite!' Peggy exclaimed in mock outrage.

'I'm sorry,' he murmured, 'I'm sure we'll be able to get you some more later.'

'It's all right, I have an extra in my work table. You'll have to get me them later, though.'

'That won't be a problem,' he laughed as she pulled his pants off in one smooth movement and slid back up to reclaim his lips.

She lowered herself slightly as she rubbed against him, gently, steadily, insistently, the coarse- government issued underwear now the only thing between them as he attempted and failed to suppress a groan which slipped from between his teeth. 'Come on, Peggy.'

He reached up for the clasp of her bra, and after a slight nod of permission from her, loosened it as she pulled his underwear off impatiently and his erection sprang free. Standing up briefly, she pulled her underwear off too and for a moment, they simply stared at each other, hoping that this would never end.

And then she was on him, sinking down onto him, making in groan in pleasure. They slowly found their rhythm as they quickened, until the sight and smell and feel of her was too much for him and he fell apart in her hands, shouting her name as she shouted his.

She lay down next him, their fingers intertwined as she murmured, 'I love you too Steve.' He reached out, pulling her closer as they drifted off, both expectant of the many nights to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve and his men strode into the Headquarters and were immediately greeted by cheers. They had, after all, just bombed up another Red Skull headquarters successfully without any casualties. Yet there was only one person who Steve Rogers really wanted to see.

After fifteen minutes of accepting back- patting and politely declining invitations to get a drink later, he excused himself and made a beeline towards the desk around the corner, three rows from the back, five rows from the left. Peggy Carter was sound asleep in her chair, her head against the armrest, her stockinged feet on the table. Steve opted to stand there quietly and look on at Peggy Carter as he fell himself falling more and more in love with her by the minute.

A friend of Peggy's passed by then. 'Don't wake her up,' she said to him, 'She's been up the whole time you were on that mission, worrying over this, working over that. Making sure that every single detail of your mission was perfect. She went without sleep for three whole days. Only stopped after knowing that the bunch of you were successful. If you ask me, this nap was well deserved.' He reached forward, pushing a stray lock of her hair out of her face as he looked down tenderly, 'Yes, she does.' But not here, where the uncomfortably small chair would most give her back pain when she wakes up. He gently scooped her up, deciding to put her in her room where she would be able to sleep more comfortably. As Peggy's friend had said, she deserved it.

Peggy woke up with a start in a pair of arms that were a bit too familiar. She smiled as she looked up, thankful that he was back and still in one piece. 'I do know how to walk, you know,' she stated.

He looked down, 'I know. But would you prefer to walk?' he asked teasingly, already knowing how she would answer.

She wrinkled her nose, reconsidering, 'No. I like this better,' she murmured as she burrowed against his chest. They reached her room then, and Steve gently set her down on her bed and turned to leave.

'No,' she murmured, laying a hand gently on his forearm, 'Stay with me.'

He hesitated for a moment. It was rare for her to make such requests. Stooping down, he gave her cheek a soft peck and murmured playfully, 'All right then. But do give me a couple of minutes to clean up. I've just finished a mission after all and I think I stink.'

He was strolling back from the bathroom fifteen minutes later when he heard screams from Peggy's room. Quickening to a sprint, he bursted into Peggy's room, 'Peggy what is it?' He bursted into the room. He released a breath he didn't know that he was holding as he noted that she was still in one piece. There was no Red Skull agent holding a gun to her head, no bomb about to detonate. Yet she was curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth slightly and he could not help but note that she had been crying. His voice softened as he slowly approached her, 'Peggy?' Her eyes flickered up and she swiftly averted his gaze. 'It's okay, Steve. I'm fine. It's okay.' He sat down on the ledge of her bed, 'You're not, Peggy. What is it?'

She snapped then, 'I told you, I'm fine! Leave me alone!'

Deafening silence followed her statement. Steve stood there helplessly, unsure of what to do. Heaving a sigh, Peggy buried her face in her hands and proceeded to murmur, 'Oh God, Steve, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.' He covered the distance between them in two strides, wrapping an arm firmly around her, looking on silently as she cried. He didn't know what was bothering her, yet it hurt him to see her in such a state.

After some time, she wiped her eyes and met his eyes hesitantly, 'I'm sorry for losing my temper like that. And for screaming in my sleep and scaring you in the process. It was just…' she stuttered then. He had never heard Peggy stutter. 'I was having a bad dream.'

He remained silent, allowing her to continue.

'It was about you dying in the most gruesome ways possible. It's getting worse. Some time ago, it only happened when you were on missions and all I could do was to worry. And now you're back and those dreams just aren't going away. I hate it. I hate how I could never get you out of my head, I hate how I'm finding difficulty sleeping when you're away, I hate how I currently sound like one of those whiny women begging their partners never to put their lives on the line.' At that, she tightened her grip on his arm. 'But don't you ever let me hold you back from doing what you have to do. I will never be able to live it down if you do that. I understand what your job entails for you and the risks you constantly have to undergo and I'm fine with it, okay? I'll just have to find a way to deal with those dreams.'

Steve stayed silent as he wrapped his arms around Peggy, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her familiar scent, feeling her relax in his arms. 'Will it help if I sleep with you tonight?' Peggy said nothing yet she eased them both onto her bed, allowing him to ravel his arm around her waist as she looked up at him. She leaned forward slightly and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips, 'Thank you, my darling.'

She had never called him that before, 'My darling,' he murmured, 'I like that.'

He heard her chuckle softly as she flipped the light switch off and was deep asleep within seconds.

No more bad dreams plagued Peggy that night. For she knew that Steve was there and would still be with her when she was to wake up the next morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Inspired by post/109528536696/okay-but-this-means-almost-certainly-means-that

It was one of those nights before a mission, when the entire troop gathered together and held a somewhat twisted form of a party. All of them knew well enough that this may be the very last party for quite a number of them. Of course, that did anything but hamper their spirits. If anything, they were wilder, more boisterous than they normally were. Peggy and Steve stood by, at the very back of the crowd, the backs of their hands brushing gently against each other, somewhat oblivious of the push up competition that was happening before them. That was, until Walker finally collapsed in exhaustion and Thompson stood back up, once again triumphant. Money changed hands as a soldier standing by the sidelines jeered, 'Proud as a peacock ain't you, Thompson? But betcha can't win Captain America.'

Thompson turned around, a snide smirk on his face, 'Oh come on. The only reason he's half good is because of the super serum. Ain't gonna be a fair competition if we count it this way!' Thompson had always harbored harsh feelings when it came to Steve and everyone knew that- had it not been for Steve he would have been the person chosen by the military to be enhanced by the super serum. Peggy was thankful that Thompson hadn't been chosen- his ego was humongous enough without the aid of the super serum.

Maybe she wouldn't have done what she did then had Thompson stopped talking then, yet after his initial statement he chose to continue, 'Right, Captain America, America's hero? What would you have been had it not been for that serum? I remember you back then in training all tiny and weak. Honestly, I ain't got no idea why they chose you.' The circle of people became quiet. Thompson had always been snide when it came to Steve, yet directly challenging him in front of everyone was something new. The crowd waited with bated breath to see how things would play out. Thompson continued, 'Though really, might it be because of you, Agent Carter? You'd always liked him quite a lot from the vert start, hmm? Could have guessed. I still remember you shouting at us during training, sayin' we ain't quick enough with our push- ups. What are you like, I wonder? Of course, training regimes must be way slacker for you ladies- you are such fragile little things. I can't very well compare myself with your boyfriend, but what about you? Might you be able to do half as much as I just did?'

It didn't affect Steve much when Thompson was talking about him- he had long since been accustomed to being offended in every manner possible. Yet the degradatory manner of which Thompson adopted to talk to Peggy made him stiffen. Peggy, sensing his tension, gently reached over and squeezed his hand before stepping forward and stating, 'I shall be more than happy to take up your challenge, Thompson.' Murmurs rumbled through the crowd. Thompson's record was 80. Even if one was to do half the number of that, it was evidently no easy task.

Peggy Carter lowered herself casually and proceeded to put one arm behind her back, sending another wave of whispers through the crowd. '40 one- arm pushups! For a woman!' A soldier in front of Steve exclaimed loudly. Howard Stark sidled up to Steve, 'Can't wait to see their reactions when she's done.' The crowd began to count collectively as Peggy started on her one- arm pushups. There were no scarcity of cheers after she passed 25, whoops after she did 40, yet she still continued. The chant grew louder and louder and the crowd went crazy as she passed 80. As she reached 100, the crowd became silent with awe. She stopped at 107. With one last push, she stood back up gracefully, tilting her head towards Thompson slightly. Howard was the one who broke the deafening silence by applauding first, and he was immediately joined by many others.

She walked back to Steve, hips swaying slightly, a victorious glint in her eye, and she was so beautiful he was tempted to close the distance between them in two strides, cup her face in his hands and snog her senseless. But they were in public and he knew that she wouldn't like it. So he waited for her to come to him, waited for the crowd's attention to be diverted to some other spectacle, for her to tug at his hand and for them to silently slip away to somewhere less populated.

Howard was the only one who noticed.


	5. Chapter 5

'Steve,' Peggy whispered, 'There's something off about this. This is too easy.' They were in another HYDRA base and, for the past ten minutes, had been met with minimal resistance.

'They don't know that we're here, Pegs. Remember how astonished those couple of guards looked at the gates when they turned around and saw us? They obviously weren't expecting us. There's no need to worry,' Steve murmured.

His words did little to disperse Peggy's anxiousness. It just didn't feel right.

The Howling Commandos walked through one empty corridor after the other. The place was eerily quiet. 'Peggy? I think you were right,' Steve said, 'This isn't quite-' Two troops emerged from both ends of the corridors, surrounding them. 'Right,' he muttered as he threw himself into battle.

They were horrendously outnumbered. Peggy dodged a bullet as she kicked the closest HYDRA agent in the knee, gunning him down as he spun around to face her. They were all fighting in close quarters and she was extremely careful of hurting no one on her side. Sensing someone behind her, she ducked and a knife missed her head by inches. She shot at him yet he was fast and the next thing she knew he had thrown her down and a knife was inches away from her throat. She looked up defiantly at her attacker. A shield proceeded to hit him hard in the head as she swiftly rolled away and stood back up. 'Rogers,' she stated curtly. 'We're extracting,' he told her, 'Jones is already down.' 'Will do,' Peggy replied as she took out another agent to the left of her. He was halfway through a hand- to- hand combat with a positively rabid HYDRA agent when he heard Peggy's shout, as she pushed him away and the bullet meant for his heart ended up in her shoulder instead. He sensed her crumple to the ground next to him. The world slowed. He slammed his shield into the man in front of him. Blood sprayed everywhere. He continued. Peggy was hurt. That was the only coherent thought going through his mind. HYDRA agent after agent collapsed. He no longer cared about simply incapacitating some of them instead of downright killing them. Killing was faster. He had to be fast. Peggy could not lose too much blood. He had to get her out of there. The corridor of men crumpled one by one until none were left yet he refused to stop. Now he had to complete the original mission. He told the other Howling Commandos to get Peggy and Jones back to the plane. He would be joining them later. He did not remember how they responded. He stormed into the control room and threw his shield at the head of the commander of the branch. Half of the commander's head was sheared away by the sheer force of his shield and it stuck to the far end of the wall. He retrieved his shield and left without hesitation.

He did not remember much of the return trip, besides how he sat next to Peggy, holding on to her hand as the medical team bustled around, until they finally reached the headquarters and he was forced to separate himself from her as they wheeled her into the operation room. Bucky approached him as he sat outside, waiting. 'You okay, Steve?'

He thought back of the things he did back in the HYDRA base, and a wave of shame threatened to overcome him. 'Not all of them were bad. I should have incapacitated them. Instead of killing them all.'

'You did what you had to do, Steve.'

He looked down at his hands. They were stained with blood. Peggy's blood. The commander's blood. The blood of the men in the corridor. 'Did I?' he mused softly, 'Did I really have to kill every single one of them?'

Bucky then opted to give him a pat on the back and leave him alone. He didn't know what else to do.

Many hours later, the doctor finally exited the operating room.

'The operation was successful,' he told Steve, 'Miss Carter lives.'

Peggy woke up to the strong scent of antiseptic and the pristine white interior of the hospital rooms. There was something on her hand. She looked down and saw Steve sleeping on it. Instinctively, she stretched out her other head to stroke him, yet a pang of pain stopped her and she remembered her shoulder wound. 'Ouch,' she murmured. At that, Steve stirred and opened one eye, 'Hey there Pegs, he murmured in relief as he straightened himself, 'You feeling all right?'

'Hmm,' she wrinkled her nose, 'My shoulder hurts, but that's expected. Oh wait no, my hand hurts too, the one you'd just been sleeping on. Pins and needles.' She stuck her lower lip out teasingly. Steve gently picked up her hand and planted a soft kiss on it, 'Better now?' She laughed and nodded in return.

Steve sobered up slightly at that, 'Peggy, I'm sorry. I was wrong. If I had listened to you in the first place and got us out of there, you wouldn't have gotten hurt.'

'It's all right,' she said softly, 'Everyone make mistakes at times. Being Captain America doesn't exempt you from that.'

He smiled, sidling up to her. Peggy was all right. As of now, everything couldn't be better.


End file.
